[June 20, 2017] Anthony LaPorta, MD, FACS, Course Director for the Military Medicine Track and Professor of Clinical Surgery at Rocky Vista University (RVU) was appointed to the Defense Health Board Trauma and Injury Subcommittee by the Department of Defense (DOD). Members of this subcommittee will provide advice on matters pertaining to DOD trauma and injury, including methods for prevention, recognition, clinical management, and treatment. They will then report their recommendations to the Defense Health Board for deliberation and discussion.

As a leading expert in simulation, Dr. LaPorta will help design trauma care for use throughout the military. “It was humbling to once again realize that I have the opportunity to help those who are literally putting their lives on the line for us,” said Dr. LaPorta.

Dr. LaPorta’s appointment to the subcommittee was the result of recommendations by the former president of the American Medical Association, Jeremy Lazarus, MD, as well as several senior military officers. This will be a four-year appointment with quarterly meetings in Washington, DC.

“Having served 30 years as a Navy Medical Corps officer and being assigned to the Joint Forces Command, I understand how significant an appointment like this is for the welfare of our active duty members as they selflessly serve the best interests of our country,” said Clinton E. Adams, DO, FACHE, RDML, MC, USN (Ret), President and CEO of RVU.

Dr. LaPorta is currently working with the Department of Defense on two grants: as Co-Primary Investigator for the Trauma Team Training Objective Measurement Evaluation and as Consultant for the Joint Enroute Care Committee. Earlier this year, he also served as a Subject Matter Expert aboard the USNS Brunswick, in a study designed to test the ability to perform surgery during rough sea conditions.